Form Inside Function

Today's consumers are looking for cabinet hardware that
offers accessibility, ease of installation and the opportunity to
express themselves with personalized designs and striking
finishes.

By John Filippelli

While other products in the kitchen tend to receive the windfall
of recognition, in recent years, cabinet hardware has emerged as a
key element to creating a personalized kitchen environment. And,
manufacturers are responding with a slew of new products that offer
both aesthetic and functional appeal.

In the decorative market, there's a strong trend toward smaller,
sleeker pieces in a wide variety of eye-catching designs, though
larger, heavier, customized pieces are also finding an audience. In
functional hardware, added features and easier installation are hot
trends.

Citing a large influence from European styling and a growing
interest in personalization, many manufacturers see consumers
searching for creative knobs and pulls to add a note of
whimsy.

But, despite a growing interest in contemporary designs,
consumers have not completely abandoned traditional styling either,
according to manufacturers interviewed by K&BDN. The bottom
line, they agree, is that what consumers want above all else is
combination of function and eye-catching aesthetics and this holds
true whether it's classic or contemporary in style.

Decorative designWhile individual
preference seems to determine consumers' choice between traditional
and contemporary styling, some see the balance of power shifting.
According to Bob Shaw, national sales manager for the Hailey,
ID-based Rocky Mountain Hardware, "We have noticed that the market
for more traditional cabinet hardware, such as drop pulls and the
use of cabinet roses, has diminished slightly over the past few
years, while the demand for more specialized pieces has
increased."

This trend may be reflective of the European influence on
decorative hardware, according to Claude Girardi, managing owner of
Sterling Heights, MI-based IMOS Line, LLC. He explains, "The
current trend we see is an increase into the Euro-Modern look, with
styles and features focused on the commercial look." He continues,
"Many customers are starting to utilize modern hardware with
traditional cabinetry in order to achieve a 'transitional,' or more
modern, look."

For Shaw, the reason for this is simple: "Hardware has become an
expression of personal style."

"Knobs and pulls are no longer merely functional," agrees Cari
Jaye Sokoloff, owner/designer for San Francisco, CA-based SoKo,
adding, "knobs and pulls are now functional art." Sokoloff also
cites the current trend in decorative hardware toward a more
unique, distinctive decorative style that makes an artistic
statement. This has changed significantly from past years, she
notes.

Perhaps the greatest indication of this is consumers' desire for
more made-to-order pieces, according to Shaw. "We are seeing a lot
of requests for more customized pieces, and the use of customized
hardware is a result of the desire for a new medium through which
to express [their] personal style."

Adds Sokoloff, "Decorative hardware that is well designed is
[not] restricted to one sensibility, but can be interpreted and
used [with] myriad design eras and styles."

Shapes and colors

Smaller round and oblique knobs and simple wire pulls are quite
popular, according to Shaw. But, he serves notice as well, stating:
"Function remains the number one factor in determining hardware
choice. While we see demand for custom colors and shapes, function
will continue to drive the form."

He adds that natural hues have become more popular due to their
ability to change over time against a bronze medium.

Girardi adds, "Trends in color fall on pearl nickel and brushed
satin, with sizes still pointed toward the small/medium, rather
than medium/large."

Bill Payne, sales manager for Chico, CA-based Avante Hardware,
has noticed a few growing trends with regard to finishes, with
modern styling being very popular. "We have noticed that brass
finishes are on the way out, making way for newer and more modern
finishes such as satin nickel, brushed nickel, stainless steel,
matte nickel and matte black." He continues, "Many of these
finishes match up to finishes of more contemporary kitchen
appliances, such as stainless steel hoods, stoves and
refrigerators." Payne also notes that designs seem to portray
smooth, gentle and rounded surfaces with a contemporary feel.

Shaw concurs, stating: "We have seen a trend toward a more
personalized style, such as faux finishing, which is reflected in
the demand for cabinet hardware that accents that type of
cabinet."

Payne interjects, "We are also seeing an increase in demand for
more rustic or distressed finishes such as antique pewter and
copper."

Girardi demurs, noting that geography may play a part in
consumers' decision-making. "The demand is still toward traditional
[styling], but contemporary design, especially in the Pacific Coast
areas, is showing a steady increase."

Sokoloff notes that there has been high demand for more subtle
colors, such as SoKo's new mink finish. She also adds that trends
in materials and finishes are leaning toward age-old art materials
such as hand-cast bronze and hand-cast stainless steel.

David Schratz, director of purchasing for Wood-Ridge, NJ-based
Outwater Plastics Industries, Inc., points out that any new shapes
or colors offered should not impact the hardware's functioning,
saying: "Although colors and finishes for hardware are being
introduced to incite interest in already existing products, the
products themselves have been honed and refined to the point that
any changes are, for the most part, purely aesthetic."

Sokoloff states, "The trend would seem to lend itself to more
whimsical, creative styles, those that make people feel good and
put a smile on their face."

Functional Hardware

Functional hardware, too, has seen some changes in recent years.
Notes Chris Vagts, product manager for Alpharetta, GA-based Hettich
America, "Hardware has changed to meet the demand of consumers,
with features such as clip-on hinges, more adjustability, ease of
installation and lifetime guarantees [becoming] the standard in the
industry."

One of the hottest trends today at the functional end, according
to Marte Yerkins, marketing communications manager for Stanley,
NC-based Julius Blum, is full-extension concealed runners for wood
drawers. He also notes depth-adjustment capabilities for concealed
face-frame hinges as becoming very popular.

Specifically, customers are looking for concealed slides to fit
into current construction with as little modification as possible,
with drawer slides installed on a drawer and into the cabinet
without major construction changes to either the drawer
construction or the cabinet construction.

As Larry Greenwood, product unit manager for High Point,
NC-based Hafele America, Co., states, "[It seems that]
higher-quality functional hardware, such as concealed drawer
slides, is being included in the cabinets for additional profit and
customer value."

But, Reinbold notes, ease of installation continues to be a
buzzword among hardware manufacturers. "Functional hardware may be
a small cost percentage of the overall cost of a finished product,
but using the proper functional hardware may become a large
labor/cost savings in the manufacturing process."

Bulla agrees: "Ease of installation saves time and money that
would otherwise be spent on machines and tools."

Consumers are also looking for quiet operation, and Yerkins
believes that the next hot trend will be an option to drawer
runners that creates a soft, self-closing action. "This is achieved
with either a pneumatic or hydraulic mechanism and makes it almost
impossible to slam a drawer," he explains.

Clever utilization of space is also important for heavier loads,
such as large-screen TVs and entertainment centers, Yerkins
notes.

Reinbold agrees, citing the advent of office space being
integrated into furniture, as well as traditional cabinets carrying
more weight than before. "Both hinges and slides need to be
designed and tested to carry the heavier loads," Reinbold
states.

Manufacturers also cite a large European influence on functional
hardware trends, such as fully adjustable European and face-frame
hinges with full function, according to Vagts. He states, "American
furniture and cabinet manufacturers are changing to utilize more
innovative European-type hardware, and suppliers are adapting to
fit the requirements of customers."

Bulla concurs, "European trends are affecting cabinet design,
which affects the functional hardware market," he remarks. Some of
the products Bulla notes are wider drawers, organizing systems, and
flaps instead of doors and aluminum frames. He also believes,
"European hardware is more compatible than ever with
face-frame cabinetry."

More than anything, Vagts adds, the impact of European trends
may be due to the fact that customers want products that will make
them stand out from the competition.

To that end, Bulla notes that As "[Aside from offering ease of
installation and convenience], functional hardware must also be
aesthetically pleasing."

One major concern in the functional hardware market right now is
the impact of tower-priced imports from both Europe and the Far
East, which manufacturers see as potentially dangerous to the
market as a whole.

For Bulla, this is a critical point, as it can have a huge
impact on quality. He warns, "Customers who demand quality should
[always] be suspicious of products that are [considerably] less
expensive than the competitors' product considering the low-quality
that [tends to] come with lower-priced imports."

Universal design, too, many manufacturers agree, is a factor in
hardware design, especially since function is so important in this
area. As Shaw states, "Function must remain the primary factor in
determining [the] hardware style [chosen], but if the cabinet
hardware can be used universally without [any] aesthetic
compromise, [that makes it] all the better." KBDN